Porcupinefish

ocean · self-defense · spiky

Inflate like balloons. Porcupinefish have special stretchy skin and can rapidly suck in water to puff up into a round, spiky ball. This makes them look much bigger and scarier to any predator thinking about making them a meal.

Spines everywhere. Their bodies are covered in sharp spines that lie flat when they are relaxed but stick straight out when they puff up. These spines are actually modified scales that work like built-in armor.

About 18 species. The porcupinefish family has around 18 different species living in oceans around the world. They range from medium-sized to pretty large fish.

Called many names. Porcupinefish go by lots of nicknames like blowfish, balloonfish, and globefish. People sometimes mix them up with the similar-looking pufferfish, but they are actually different families of fish.

Special fish order. Porcupinefish belong to an order of fish called Tetraodontiformes, which includes other unusual fish with special abilities and quirky body shapes.